Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1887-02-15
THE YHLLowsroNE PARK.

a. the long train sweeps onward. climb
ing up the steep grade which Is to carry
|, over the eres, OF the Rocky Mountains,
which already tower aeros, It's path. We
will prepare for our journey up the Ia
nous Yellowstone Valley to the grea,
National park. which Is the wonderland
Of the world.
Livingstone IL . beautiful little town
Of some 5000 Inhabitants. located upon
the Yellowstone River. A branch rail.
road ha. been bull, up the Yellowstone
Valley due south TO Cinebar hf,y miles
away, to which place = train OF cars is
waiting to bear US. And {. We are
whirled up the valley. from the open
windows OF the car We will admire the
wonderful scenery.
The valley j. from two TO three mile.
vide. covered with q luIuriant earpe, OF
grass, upon which hundreds Of horses
aud cattle were grazing. The river.
some two hundred yards wide. pour i,'
yellow waters rapidly down the valley.
On either aide are ranges Of mountains
which rise 20 an altitude OF some 5000
fee, above the sea level. Their submits
are covered with ice aud snow which
never disappears, The sides Of these
ranges are scanned aud slsshed in a ter
rife manner. Deep eanons have been
carved through the ranges. which are 20
deep and gloomy and the walls 90 steep
and preeipi,ou. ,ha, they defy the ex'
plorG,ions Of man. Great walls OF rock
often rise perpendicular = thousand feet
In the ait. while other masses equally
great, have ,o,,er,d and fallen In ruins
upon the green bottom Of the valley be-
low.
We are 90 absorbed In ,hsss magnih-
cent surrounding. ,ha, We do no, notice
how rapidly time !, passing and ate sur.
prised shen the conductor Of the train
shout. "Ciasldr. CISEnAR and seiilng
our grip sacks We are .oon upon the
platform Of the depot. A little 'erag.
sly town /. Cinsb.r. with lots Of grip
aud grit IL. history s evidently nearly
al in the future. Ba, being the ,srmi-
nu. Of the railroad branch i,' future
growth IL assured.
Here We will take stage coaches TO the
Mammoth llo, Spring. ia lellow'ioae
Park, seven mile. from Cinebn. This
park hA. quite history Of ia own, al
lb.u.e, Of which |, may no, be amis' for
me 10 here write: It, eIisn, s hi,y.h'e
mile. in width and 'ii,y.h'e miles In
lsng,h. I, VI. taken from the three
territories Of Wyoming. Montana and
Idaho. IL. location 1, upon the highest
portion Of tie great continental divide.
The loves, poin, within the park !. 'ev-
sral hundred fee, higher than Mount
Washington. -Four six.hone coaches
are waiting to convey the passengers
from the depo, 20 the Mammoth Hot
Springs. We will climb up on the seat
beside Mountain Charley. worthy
stage driver whose fame has extended
Throughout, the whole Northwest. Three
mile, up the valley from CinebH We
reach the little town Of Gardiner, located
q, the mouth Of the Gardiner River. and
a. We are somewha, anIioas 10 become
acquainted With Western life We will
di.moun, from the coach box and look
the town over q little. So we will say
good bye. for .hOr, time. 10 Mountain
Charley and our fellow passenger. prom
i,ins to rjoin them at the hotel IN the
evening.
We will make bee line for the Met,
ropolii.n hotel. l, is no, As pre,en,loas
an establishment as i,s name would in-
diea,e . long building. one story high.
twenty-five Zee, wide and thirty fee,
long, With . canvas roof extension pro-
j,ciins some twenty-five feet in from,
iha, serve. /. . dining room. Ia the
los building they cook aud drink and in
several .hanties made Of logs and cotton
cloth which ate scattered around the ho.
tel proper. the guests sleep. Two-,hird'
a, l.ss, Of ell the buildings in Gardiner
are either hotel. or drinking saloons.
The town was established by "'hArpers
who In the end were oa,wi,ied by Others
and defeated by their Own sharp pfAe-
,iees. The history OF the Transaction Is
something like this: The Northern Pa
eife railroad was constructing i,s branch
line up the valley TO aecomOdA,e the
thousands Of tourists who annually rush
20 the Yellowstone Park. The terminus
Of that road would evidently be where
the town Of Gardiner i, now located.
Some spectators purchased the ground
snd laid Ou, city. and everything ven,
on with genuine western boom. Lots
commanded = fabulous price The road
bed Of the railway Was graded almos, TO
the town itself; but when the company
came to purchase ground for their depot
and freigh, houses the mos, outrageous
prices wero asked, aud as = eompromise
could no, be effected the railroad es,ab-
li.hei its terminus at Cinebar aud the
city Of Gardiner was left by itself high
and dry.
thousand. Of people who visi, the
Park will pass through IL. unls. like
oarselve. they stop to get a sniff OF west
ern life. Gardiner Is pa,ronized TO
small ex,en, by the cowboys Of the up
per Yellowstone Valley. and the miners,
who come from . region still farther up
the country in wha, Is known as the
"Cl.rk. Fork Mines" l, does no, take
q great while to look the town over for
"shor, horse Is soon curried." The
buildings within the town oil told will
no, number over tf,y. and these are
ranged in q struggling fashion along two
streets. The bars in the saloons seem to
be we'll ps,ronirsd and evidently have a
large share OF the business. One or two
stores in which fancy goods are displayed
for sale were presided over by large.
fsshy German ladies, who were them
selves the centre OF attraction for miners
and cowboys. not 90 much. | presume.
for any claim, they possessed for beauty.
as for the reason tha, ladies are few and
| far between in that country.
In one Of the groups Of men who were
standing in from, Of = saloon smoking
pipes and cigars Was an individual in
whose appearance We quickly became